ELEMENT 2: NATURAL RESOURCES

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NATURAL RESOURCES

THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT OF GOODHUE COUNTY IS VERY DIVERSE INCLUDING ONE OF THE MOST SCENIC STRETCHES OF THE MIGHTY .

OVERVIEW

Understanding and preserving our environmental is an important legacy and partnerships of private landowners for future generations. Goodhue and public agencies, all developed to County's physical environment is very foster local stewardship and diverse; its surface and underground management of natural resources. A features vary widely throughout the large part of the quality of life in County. Goodhue County is derived from the values that come with being part of a In order to maintain healthy still-rural community. Other values are communities, interdependent associated with the natural landscapes environmental systems must be such as the Mississippi River, protected. Conservation of natural breathtaking Blufflands, forests, areas, the maintenance and prairies, and wetlands. These areas improvement of water quality, and a provide opportunities for active and built environment that does not passive recreation as well as providing compromise our natural resources were functions such as fish and wildlife established as priorities for Goodhue habitat, stormwater infiltration, erosion County. control, and in some cases additional farm and household income. In Citizens have continually placed a high addition, the aesthetic qualities and priority on sound management of the desirability of these natural areas County’s natural resources. Examples increases property values. of this interest are abundant including watershed partnerships, conservation organizations, volunteer efforts,

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NATURAL RESOURCES

The physical environment of Goodhue County is very diverse including:  One of the most scenic stretches of the mighty Mississippi River including the upper portion of Lake Pepin  The lower reaches of the State of recognize the Wild and Scenic . Stretches of the North Branch and Middle Branch of the .  Numerous high quality creeks including Hay Creek, , Belle Creek, Spring Creek, Clear Creek and the lower portion of Gilbert Creek. Stretches of these creeks sustain water temperatures and oxygen levels suitable to support various species of trout.  Recognized as one of the great American treasures, the Mississippi River Blufflands and its unique driftless features are one of the most scenic and culturally important regions in the United States.

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NATURAL RESOURCES

KEY POINTS STRENGTHS CHALLENGES

The federal Clean Water Act The County has a vast source Regulations that protect requires States to adopt water of tools to evaluate land uses groundwater quality are quality standards to protect such as the Environmental difficult to establish due to lakes, streams, and wetlands Constraints Land use model the unpredictability of from pollution (ECLUE), Local Water Goodhue County’s Management Plan, GIS groundwater system Significant portions of databases including, historic Many of the natural areas, Goodhue County have been aerial photography, contour such as the Dorer Memorial identified as having a “high” datasets, Natural Resources Hardwood state forest, have or “very high” susceptibility Inventory, and historical and remained either privately to groundwater cultural locations owned or administered by contamination concerns other agencies, limiting Due to Goodhue County’s overall preservation efforts The forested areas in slow yet steady growth, Goodhue County serve many natural areas such as bluffs, The County has many areas purposes including woodlands, and streams have with impaired shoreland stormwater management, remained relatively vegetated buffers wildlife habitat, recreation unaffected by urban and commercial timber development Balancing non-metallic harvesting mineral extraction and transportation with The County has specific The undeveloped natural reasonable environmental ordinances that limit areas are important to its regulations development opportunities in citizens and are an important the rural area. Residential and scenic amenity and tourist City growth expansions could destination reduce available land for agricultural purposes DRAFT DOCUMENT FOR REVIEW Page | 24

NATURAL RESOURCES

NATURAL RESOURCES Goodhue County’s past and current efforts to plan and implement sound management of its natural resources have been initiated and implemented in accordance with Federal and State Laws and Rules, however, the County is also directed to protect and properly manage its resources through local priorities and initiatives.

The basis for the County’s past and current natural resources management efforts include the following:

Shoreland Management Act (Minnesota Statutes 103F)

Floodplain Management Policy (Minnesota Statutes 103F.105)

Wetlands Protection and Preservation (Minnesota Statutes 103G.221)

Minnesota's Wild & Scenic Rivers Act (Minnesota Statutes 103F)

Blufflands Management and Preservation

Management of Non-Metallic Mineral Resources

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WATER RESOURCES

WATER RESOURCES There are three major watersheds in Goodhue County. They include the Mississippi River, Cannon River and Zumbro River. The Cannon and Zumbro Rivers eventually flow to the Mississippi River. Numerous tributaries flow into each of the rivers.

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WATER RESOURCES

GROUNDWATER Ground water within the County is heavily influenced by karst features. Karst topography is a geologic landscape created by the dissolution of rock resulting in fractures, caverns, and sinkholes. This not only complicates groundwater systems, but decreases the time it takes for pollutants to enter the system. Regulations that protect groundwater quality are difficult to establish due to the unpredictability of Goodhue

County’s groundwater system.

Significant portions of Goodhue IMPAIRED WATERS: County have been identified as The Federal Clean Water Act having a “high” or “very high” requires states to adopt water susceptibility to groundwater quality standards to protect lakes, contamination concerns. The streams, and wetlands from Minnesota Department of Natural pollution. The standards define Resources (DNR) defines a sensitive how much of a pollutant (bacteria, area as a geographic area nutrients, turbidity, mercury, etc.) characterized by natural features can be in the water and still meet where there is significant risk of designated uses, such as drinking groundwater degradation from water, fishing, and swimming. A activities conducted at or near the water body is “impaired” if it fails land surface (MS § 103H.101). to meet one or more water quality standards. Numerous Goodhue County waters have been determined to be “impaired” based upon the various measures use to determine compliance with Clean Water Act standards.

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WATER RESOURCES

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WATER RESOURCES

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WATER RESOURCES

TROUT STREAMS Goodhue County has several rivers, creeks or streams that have been designated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as “trout streams”. Like trout streams elsewhere in Southeastern Minnesota, Goodhue County’s Trout Streams rise from springs and thus are cool in summer. The trout streams are ecologically sensitive, and popular with anglers from around the upper Midwest. These streams require special attention to assure that they remain healthy and productive. A stream’s ability to support trout serves as an indicator of the health of the waters.This illustrates the geologic and hydrologic conditions that make Goodhue County a unique and special place.

WETLAND PRESERVATION Wetlands provide a valuable service by improving water quality, providing for flood water retention, reducing runoff, reducing stream sedimentation, and preserving wildlife habitat

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WATER RESOURCES

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WATER RESOURCES

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WATER RESOURCES

WATER RESOURCE 1. Provide guidance for the responsible development of OBJECTIVES: shorelands of public waters and thus preserve and enhance the quality of surface waters

2. Preserve the economic and natural environmental values of shorelands 3. Provide for the responsible use of water and related land resources of the State 4. Encourage floodplain stabilization 5. Guide responsible development of the floodplains to reduce human and property losses due to flooding 6. Discourage unsuitable structures in floodplains 7. Protect, enhance, and conserve the wetlands of Goodhue County 8. Integrate land use planning with water planning to achieve optimal management and quality of ground and surface water resources

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WATER RESOURCES

WATER RESOURCE 1. Maintain and administer Shoreland Zoning Regulations IMPLEMENTATION consistent with Minnesota Statutes 103F (Shoreland STRATEGIES: Management Act) and Minnesota Administrative Rules 6120 (Shoreland Rules)

2. Educate land owners within designated Shoreland Areas regarding applicable provisions of Shoreland Zoning Regulations

3. Further shoreland management through pro-active administration of Shoreland Regulations including working with rural property owners to ensure compliance with vegetative buffer standards

4. Educate landowners on the requirements of management of protected waterways and agricultural uses 5. Maintain and administer flood plain regulation consistent with Minnesota Administrative Rules 6120.5400 (Floodplain Management Rules – Local Duties)

6. Educate flood plain property owners on how to avoid or minimize flood hazard risks and the benefits of purchasing and maintaining flood insurance 7. Make relevant flood hazard area maps and supporting data available to emergency response planners and providers to facilitate essential flood warning practices, emergency response and evacuation measures 8. Maintain and implement regulations calling for the replacement of all wetlands destroyed or diminished due to unavoidable activities

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WATER RESOURCES

9. Work closely with Goodhue Soil and Water Conservation District to administer wetland’s regulations to minimize wetland’s impacts and to ensure wetland’s replacement in conformance with applicable State standards 10. Coordinate land use planning and regulation including promoting the use of best management practices for handling storm water runoff for areas that drain into wetlands to limit contamination of wetland’s with sediment and other pollutants 11. Work collaboratively with the Goodhue Soil and Water Conservation District to implement goals, objectives and action steps set forth in the 2010 – 2020 Goodhue County Comprehensive Local Water Management Plan 12. Participate in the “One Watershed, One Plan” water planning vision that is being implemented by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR). Work collaboratively with BWSR, Watershed Management Organizations, Local Governments, other State Agencies (such as the MNDNR or MPCA) and Federal Agencies (such as FEMA or the Army Corp. of Engineers) to further planning and management of land and water resources on a watershed basis 13. Maintain and administer the County’s Water Quality Ordinance and the Sub-Surface Sewage Treatment System Ordinance to protect, preserve and enhance the County’s ground water resources

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LAND RESOURCES

LAND RESOURCES The Blufflands in Goodhue County are part of a unique region encompassing parts of Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin known as the “”. From a Natural Resources planning standpoint, considering the significance and the characteristics of the Driftless Area offers another perspective on understanding the natural features found in Goodhue County.

The four-state Driftless Area is a stunningly beautiful 24,000-square-mile landscape island, once surrounded but never touched, by giant sheets of glacial ice. This ancient landscape has evolved over thousands of years to reveal rocky bluffs, ridge-tops flanked with steep hillsides, and more than 600 cold water springs and creeks flowing quickly through the valleys. Many rare species of birds, fish, plant and other wildlife have taken refuge and survived in this area.

The Driftless Area also serves as a rest and feeding stop for many bird species during migration season. The Upper Mississippi River and its tributaries provide vital migration corridors for more than half of North America’s bird species, forming the largest contiguous area of fish and wildlife habitat remaining in the Central United States.

The region also features soils particularly vulnerable to erosion. Sediment in runoff threatens the cold water streams and diverse habitats. Forestland converted to intensive agriculture further increases the risk to this delicate ecosystem.

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LAND RESOURCES

Goodhue County is part of the Paleozoic Plateau Section (PPL)

which is described as a rugged region of bluffs and valleys that PALEOZOIC PLATEAU are quite different from the rest SECTION AND of Minnesota. Approximately BLUFFLANDS SUB- the eastern third of the County SECTION is recognized as being in the The environmental, cultural and Blufflands Subsection which is historic significance of the characterized by highly Blufflands which encompass a dissected landscapes associated significant portion of Goodhue with major rivers in County is well documented. The southeastern Minnesota. Bluffs Minnesota Department of and deep stream valleys are Natural Resources and the U.S. common. River bottom forests Forest Service have developed an have historically grown along Ecological Classification System major streams and rivers. This (ECS) for ecological mapping and ecological classification system landscape classification in offers a way of understanding Minnesota following the the landforms, geology, soils, National Hierarchical vegetation and hydrology of Framework of Ecological Units Goodhue County. (ECOMAP 1993). This Ecological Classification System provides working definitions of ecosystems and supporting inventories of the components that comprise ecosystems. It helps us understand ecological patterns and processes and the interrelationships of social, physical, and biological systems.

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LAND RESOURCES

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LAND RESOURCES

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LAND RESOURCES

RICHARD DORER MEMORIAL STATE FOREST

The Richard Dorer Memorial State forest is a 1 Million acre NATURAL COMMUNITIES forest that spans seven counties Native plant and animal species in southeast Minnesota with and natural communities have approximately one hundred evolved together for tens of thousand privately owned acres thousands of years in some within Goodhue County. The instances, and are particularly forested areas in Goodhue suited to certain areas in County serve many purposes Goodhue County. If native including stormwater communities are preserved, management, wildlife habitat, they will help to maintain a recreation and commercial healthy landscape. Then the timber harvesting. Much of the landscape that can adapt better County’s forested land is located to disease, weather extremes, or within Blufflands. other natural disturbances, and require less management than species that are less suited to the area. In addition, native plant and animal species contribute to biodiversity within the region and beyond.

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LAND RESOURCES

NON-METALLIC MINERAL emphasizes the need to RESOURCES thoughtfully plan and responsibly regulate this land Goodhue County’s Zoning use that has the potential to Ordinance requires Mineral bring significant change to the Extraction Facilities to register Goodhue County Landscape. their operations. In 2016 the County had 36 registered County objectives and facilities which mine materials associated implementation such as limestone, sand, clay, and measures to guide management peat. of Non-Metallic Mineral Resources are needed to support Various non-metallic mineral official controls including land resources of commercial value use regulations and are present in Goodhue County. infrastructure investment These include clay, peat, programs and projects to industrial sand and gravel, protect the public health safety limestone and dolomite, and and welfare. Objectives and silica sand. The mining and use implementation measures of some of these resources has should strive to minimize land played an important role in the use conflicts and degradation of development of Goodhue the County’s scenic, County. recreational and natural Heightened interest in non- resources while allowing metallic mineral extraction has limited opportunities for arisen in recent years due to development of mineral increased demand for silica sand extraction facilities. for use in the oil and natural gas In addition, it remains essential industries. Increased public that the County’s rural land use awareness regarding the policies recognize the need to potential for negative keep aggregate resources environmental impacts related to needed to supply local and mineral extraction facilities and regional infrastructure and related transportation of various development projects accessible non-metallic mineral products into foreseeable future.

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LAND RESOURCES

LAND RESOURCE 1. Goodhue County will evaluate Natural Resource OBJECTIVES: protection standards in order to ensure effective regulatory strategies for protecting the natural land and uses in the County

2. Plan and implement reasonable land management of Shoreland Areas within Goodhue County as established by the State of Minnesota

3. Protect, preserve and promote responsible management of Goodhue County’s Blufflands

4. Promote cooperative Natural Resources planning to promote responsible management of natural communities

5. Encourage the use of best management practices for Non- metallic Mineral Resources mining, processing, and transportation

6. Require mine reclamation plans to reflect compatible future uses

7. Establish regulations that minimize land use conflicts and degradation of the County’s scenic, recreational and natural resources while allowing opportunities for development of mineral extraction facilities

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LAND RESOURCES

LAND RESOURCE 1. Create a forum to promote natural resource planning in IMPLEMENTATION the area STRATEGIES: 2. Build internal expertise for land planning and management of natural communities through on-going training of Land Use Management Staff and networking with public agencies and non-governmental organizations 3. Establish and administer mining regulations that ensure all mineral extraction facilities remain responsible, environmentally friendly operations 4. Establish and maintain mining regulations that ensure all mineral extraction facilities reclaim the mining area to an acceptable land use for future generation 5. Minimize land use conflicts and degradation of the County’s scenic, recreational and natural resources while allowing limited opportunities for development of mineral extraction facilities by utilizing available data resources including the County’s ECLUE to evaluate site suitability for any proposed mineral extraction facilities 6. Periodically review mineral extraction regulations including Silica Sand regulations to consider any changes pertinent changes to Federal or State Laws or Rules and to adjust to changes in the industry practices with the primary goal of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of Goodhue County’s citizens 7. Ensure reclamation plans are adhered to and take into account future land uses in the design 8. Recognize the necessity of keeping aggregate resources available to supply local and regional infrastructure and development projects accessible for future needs 9. Maintain and administer Bluff Land Zoning Regulations

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LAND RESOURCES

10. Establish and administer permitting requirements for any allowable grading or excavation within Blufflands to minimize impacts such as erosion and sedimentation or loss of rare and endangered plant species LAND RESOURCE 11. Educate property owners through outreach efforts and IMPLEMENTATION connecting them with additional resources such as the STRATEGIES CONTINUED: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Forest Resources Council and professional Foresters to promote sound timber management practices in within forested blufflands 12. Promote maintenance and establishment of native vegetation best suited Blufflands through education and outreach to property owners 13. Promote and encourage removal of invasive plant species that may be detrimental to native plant and animal species through education and outreach to property owners. This may be achieved by coordinating with other Federal, State or Local Agencies and as part of the permit review process on properties that include Bluffland areas

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